Varanasi Court Allows Survey Of Gyanvapi Mosque Barring Spot Sealed Earlier

Gyanvapi Mosque Case: The Hindu side of the long-running dispute had submitted a petition letter in the Varanasi court asking for an ASI study of the entire complex of the Gyanvapi mosque.

Gyanvapi Mosque Case: The application was moved in May this year by four women worshippers.

New Delhi:  The Varanasi District Court today granted permission for a "scientific survey" of the entire Gyanvapi mosque grounds by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), with the exception of the barricaded "wazukhana" where a structure claimed by Hindu litigants to be a "shivling" exists.

The survey was granted in response to a petition filed by four female worshipers who are interested in learning whether the mosque was built over a previous Hindu temple structure.The ASI was ordered by the court to deliver its scientific report by August 4.

Higher courts are likely to hear challenges to the order.The 'wazukhana' area was sealed by the Supreme Court last year.

According to news agency ANI, petitioners' attorney VishnuShankar Jain stated, "I have been informed that my application has been approved and the court has directed to conduct an ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, excluding the Wazu tank which has been sealed."

Four female worshipers who claimed the Gyanvapi Mosque, which is next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, held remnants of an ancient Hindu temple, filed the application in May of this year. According to the application, Swayambhu Jyotirlinga had been present at the location for tens of thousands of years but had been repeatedly damaged or destroyed by "Muslim Invaders who had hatred against infidels and idol worshippers beginning with the attack of Mahmud Ghazni in 1017 AD".

The application also claims that "one of the most fanatical and cruel Mughal Emperors, Aurangzeb" issued a Farman (decree) in 1669 to destroy the Temple of Lord Adivisheshwar at the location in question, and that in accordance with his instructions, his subordinates carried out the order by destroying the aforementioned Temple.

Mr. Jain previously stated that he believed the conflict between the Gyanvapi mosque and the Kashi Vishwanath temple could only be settled through an archaeological examination of the complete mosque complex.

The Mosque Committee has objected, claiming that an ASI survey might harm the compound.

The "scientific survey," which would have included carbon dating, of a "Shivling" allegedly discovered at the Gyanvapi mosque complex during a videographic survey last year had been postponed by the Supreme Court on May 19.

In one of the major issues involving the Gyanvapi Mosque earlier this year, the mosque committee experienced a significant defeat when the Allahabad High Court rejected a request asking it to dismiss a civil lawsuit being considered in a local court.

The Varanasi District Court was granted permission to continue hearing the petition brought by a group of Hindu women worshipers demanding the right to pray in the Varanasi Gyanvapi mosque complex.